Forage production suitability modeling in Sarab Sefid rangeland of Borujerd by Geographic Information System (GIS)

Subject Areas : Geospatial systems development

Ali Ariapour ¹ , Moslem Hadidi ² , Fazel Amiri ³ , Ali Hossein Biranvand ⁴

1 - Assis. Prof. Department of Range Management, Boroujerd Branch, Islamic Azad University, Boroujerd, Iran
2 - Lecturer, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research, Kermanshah, Iran
3 - Assoc. Prof. Department of Environmental Engineering, Bushehr Branch, Islamic Azad University, Bushehr, Iran
4 - MSc. of Range Management, Boroujerd Branch, Islamic Azad University, Boroujerd, Iran

Received: 2014-05-22 Accepted : 2014-11-24 Published : 2015-05-22

Keywords:

Abstract :

Forage production suitability is one of the most factors to the sustainable utilization of natural potential by rangeland grazing suitability. To determine this factor in short time, low cost and height accuracy is most challenges of expertise and ranchers. Using a suitable technique for this subject can be sustainable utilization comprising from rangeland ecosystems, according to its degradation and heavy grazing. This research was conducted in Borujerd Sarab Sefid rangeland from 2001 to 2012. Slope, aspect and height maps provided by using satellite imagery, basic information and analog maps and digitized maps such as; topographic and DEM (Digital Elevation Model). Also measurement of field conducted by using clipping and weighting method for estimation of forage, four factors method to range condition, trend balance to range condition trend and physiognomy to typing. Forage production, range condition, ranges condition, trend and typing maps integrated with obtaining and digitized field data in ARCGIS®9.3 software. At least to become changed to final forage production, sustainability this maps in software by using unity command. Result show that from 16 types, 4 types were in non sustainable, 8 types in class III, 2 types in class II and 2 types in class I of sustainability. As a final conclusion this research and other research show that uses RS and GIS can useful for sustainable management of rangeland ecosystems with height accuracy and speed and low cost if considered standards and criteria of using GIS and RS.